Republic of Ireland players staged a protest during their UEFA Nations League match against Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, on Sunday, refusing the traditional pre-match handshake and bowing their heads during Israel’s national anthem.
The Irish players wore black armbands during the match, which they said were in recognition of lives lost in the conflict in Gaza. They also stood with their heads bowed while the Israeli anthem was played.
After the anthems, the customary handshake ceremony between the two teams did not take place. Ireland captain Dara O’Shea also did not shake hands with Israel captain Manor Solomon, while the two sides did not exchange pennants.
The actions came amid controversy surrounding the fixture and pressure in Ireland for the team to boycott its matches against Israel.
Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad ahead of the game, saying he did not want to participate because of his personal beliefs concerning the loss of innocent lives. The rest of the squad subsequently voted by a significant majority to play the match.
Despite the pre-match controversy, Ireland produced a strong performance and defeated Israel 3-0.
Troy Parrott opened the scoring in the 13th minute before Adam Idah doubled Ireland’s lead three minutes later. Jack Moylan added a third goal in the 25th minute to complete the scoring.
The match was played at the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen after Israel nominated Hungary as its home venue.
The fixture attracted limited attendance, with only a small number of Israeli supporters present and no significant Irish travelling support officially expected.
Ireland’s actions drew criticism from Israeli officials. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused the Irish side of being “on the wrong side of history” over the protest.
The two teams are scheduled to meet again on October 4 in Serbia, with the return fixture set to be played behind closed doors.
